The Mirror
by Allikitty13
Summary: The SPR team and it's newly formed couple take on yet another case; one that involves mirrors, voices, and a ghost's grudge - which appears to be against relationships! Will Naru and Mai be able to make it through this new case? Or will their time together be cut short? Sequel to The Black Cat
1. Chapter 1

**THIS IS A SEQUEL.  
Just in case you didn't know. :)  
Please read the first story – The Black Cat – first, just because it would make this more understandable…  
SO! Thank you to all who have been with me… With all your responses, how could I not do a sequel? I think I came up with another good idea… If this one isn't as long – or as good – I'm sorry! But I hope you guys like it as much as the first one!**

**PLEASE TELL ME IF YOU LIKE THIS AND WANT IT TO CONTINUE~  
I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT!**

* * *

**The Mirror: Chapter 1  
**

The cloudy sky cast a slight gloom over Naru as he stood in front of the SPR building. Every now and then the wind would pick up, causing him to dig his hands deeper into his jacket pockets. He glanced down the street in hopes that his girlfriend would actually show up – for once – on time.

Naru blinked. _Girlfriend…_ Even now, using that term to describe Mai seemed unusual to him. Sure, they had been dating for about a month now, but… Naru just couldn't get over the fact that they were _actually_ together.

Looking back on the past month, he couldn't decide on whether things were still the same or severely different. The SPR team still went on cases together. No one was awkward about Mai and his 'going out'; if anything, they were a little too enthusiastic about it. And he and Mai still bickered like they always had. At first glance, it seemed like nothing had changed. But then, when he thought about it, Naru realized that many things _had_ become different. He could feel himself slowly starting to open up more with Mai. Small smiles would break out onto his face when he would talk to her, and he was having a harder time maintaining a nonchalant attitude when with her.

Also, Naru noticed that he had started giving into her requests more easily. After having accepted the black cat into the SPR building for a little while, Naru began to feel that denying Mai of things that she felt truly emotional about was something that he did not want to do. This was the reason why he was standing out in the somewhat chilly weather, waiting for Mai to arrive. The whole thing had started the night before…

* * *

_Naru glanced at the clock in his office and realized that it was past the time when Mai usually would go home. She always waltzed through the door, proclaiming that she was off, saluting as she did so. Staring at the door, Naru wondered why she hadn't yet done it. Had she already left and not said anything? He got up and went into sitting area, only to stop as he spotted his assistant/girlfriend. She had her head resting on her arms, which were folded on the top of her desk. Light snores were emitting from her, and a strand of her hair kept flying into the air with every breath she released._

_Approaching her, Naru felt a gentle smile creep onto his face. _When will this girl stop sleeping on the job?_ He looked down at her intently. His eyebrows rose as he noticed that her face was suddenly turning red and incoherent mumbles were starting to tumble out of her mouth. Naru reached a hand out and placed it on Mai's shoulder, giving her a gentle shake._

"_Mai. Wake up." At Naru's voice, Mai's eyes snapped open, and she bolted upright._

"_Ah! Oh, jeeze, Naru! You scared me," she stated exasperatedly. Naru crossed his arms, giving her a look._

"_Maybe you shouldn't sleep on the job, then." Mai stared at the nearest clock, alarmed. Her eyes widened._

"_Wha – It's that late already? I'm sorry, Naru! I just laid my head down for one second – I was so tired – I didn't really get any sleep last night…" She hastily went around and gathered her things. Naru followed close behind her._

"_Why didn't you sleep last night? Did you have one of those dreams?" Mai shook her head, pulling her coat on._

"_No, no. It was just one of those weird, sleepless nights. And I haven't had a dream with Gene since the Takumis' case…" Mai frowned, her face turning slightly pink. "Ah – well – now that you mention it, I just had one of those dreams just now. Um, Gene says 'Hi', by the way." Naru nodded slowly, curiosity in his eyes._

"_Did something happen in your dream? You were acting weird while you were asleep." Mai laughed nervously._

"_Nope, not really. Gene was just being – Gene, I guess. Saying weird things, you know." The two's eyes made contact, making Mai glance away quickly. "Well, I'll be going –"_

"_Mai, what did my stupid brother say?" Mai stayed silent. "Was it that bad? Do we need a repeat of the last time you tried to keep something from me?" Mai sighed, turning her slightly-pink face back to him._

"_N-No, I'm good. Well… Gene told me to tell you…" She took a deep breath, "…'It's about time you told Mai how you feel, Idiot Scientist. Try not to make her cry anymore, or else I'll have to haunt you. Oh, and… and…'" Mai mumbled through the rest of the sentence. Naru took a step towards her, a smirk creeping onto his face._

"_Would you repeat that?" Mai looked at him briefly, before covering her face with her hands._

"_He said, 'Oh, and hurry up and get married so I can call you guys Mr. and Mrs. Idiot Scientist'!" she exclaimed in a rush. Naru fought to not roll his eyes. Smirk still in place, he leaned towards her, placing his mouth by her ear. Mai let out a small squeak when she felt his breath._

"_Next time you see him, tell him to mind his own business." He pulled away from her, and Mai stepped back, waving her arms in front of her blushing face._

"_Ah – sure – I'll tell him that! Well, s-see you tomorrow!" She practically ran from the room, shouting a 'good-bye' as she went. Naru chuckled lightly and went back to his office._

_Not an hour later, the SPR phone rang. Naru tore his gaze from the book he was reading to look at the clock. _Who is calling at this hour?_ He heard Lin's voice as he answered the phone, followed by his footsteps. The door to Naru's office opened._

"_Noll, Taniyama-san is on the phone," he said, then went back to his office. Naru raised an eyebrow._ Mai…?_ When he got to the sitting room, he picked up the abandoned phone._

"_Mai? What is it?" He heard her sigh, exhaustion clear in her voice._

"_Oh, Naru… Are you doing anything tomorrow?"_

"_Tomorrow is the consultation with Hiraoka-san at 12:00," he reminded her. _I would think she would remember, considering she is the one who basically made me agree to even see them… _His eyebrows furrowed as he remembered how easily he had given in to Mai's request._

"_Right, I guess I forgot about that… Are you available before, then? I – uh – need your help with something." Naru narrowed his eyes._

"_I might be available. What do you need help with?" He heard a small 'bang!' on the other end, followed by an 'ow!'. "Mai, are you feeling alright?"_

"_Y-Yeah, I'm okay. Just tired, forgot there was a wall there!" She laughed halfheartedly. "As for tomorrow, I wanted to know if you had time to… go grocery shopping with me…"_

_Silence._

"_I know that it sounds like a weird thing to ask, but it's just that… my refrigerator broke while I was at work today. Everything in it spoiled, and I have to replace it all, but I don't know if I can carry it all at one time… Usually, I get a few things here and there, but to get it _all_ at one time is a little –" Naru frowned._

"_Mai, you're rambling. Go to bed. Get some sleep. I'll meet you here at 9:30 tomorrow morning." Mai yawned._

"_Thank you," she mumbled in a sleepy voice. "Ne, Naru… I love you… you know?"_

"_Yeah," Naru said softly, "I know."  
_

* * *

"NARU!"

He snapped out of his reverie, turning his head to see Mai running down the street towards him. Her face was flushed, and she waved her hand energetically at him. He began slowly walking in her direction, his gaze now on the street beside him. Stopping as she reached him, he looked over to see her doubled over, breathing heavily.

"Sorry, Naru, I really tried to be on time! But the refrigerator guy was late, and that made me late, and – " She halted, seeing Naru's raised eyebrow. "Ah… Rambling. Whoops."

The corner of Naru's mouth lifted briefly as he turned and began walking down the street. Mai paused for a second before smiling and running to catch up to him.

* * *

Lin also couldn't help but smile as he watched the couple walk down the street. They just seemed so _unusual_. There was Mai, who was clad in bright colors and constantly smiling and talking to Naru. And then there was Naru, who was wearing all black and almost always looking in front of him, hands in his pockets. Appearance wise, they looked like they would never belong together. As he settled back into his chair with his hands automatically moving to their spot on his computer keyboard, Lin shook his head.

_I guess it's true that opposites attract._

* * *

An hour-and-a-half later, Naru and Mai were walking back to the SPR building, the new groceries having been purchased and sorted into Mai's repaired refrigerator. When they drew nearer to the building, Mai looked up at Naru, their grocery trip replaying itself in her mind.

"Ne, Naru?" He turned his head slightly towards her. "Thanks for helping me… I hope I didn't take up too much of your time…" She looked down at her jacket, her hands playing with the hem.

"Mai." She glanced up at him. "You're not taking up my time. Don't hesitate to ask me for help if you need it." They had reached the door and were now just standing in place, staring at each other. Mai smiled brightly.

"Will do!" She pulled open the door, and Naru walked through it. Mai paused and craned her head, a random thought popping into her brain.

"Naru? Aren't you supposed to hold the door open for me? I am a girl, you know!" Naru hung his coat on the coat rack.

"Yes, but you're my assistant, so you open the door for me." He walked away into his office. Mai glared at his retreating back, huffing as he closed the door.

"Well, pardon me! Assistant? Girlfriend wins over assistant, if you ask me." She tugged her own jacket off and threw it onto the coat rack. Just as she was about to walk away, Mai stopped. She reached into Naru's jacket, pulling out the black pair of gloves that he had been wearing for quite some time. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth.

_Good. He hasn't bought new ones yet._ She thought, remembering the gift for him that was currently sitting at her house. _He really should pay attention to these things, though…_

"Mai, tea!" Naru yelled, causing Mai to jump a foot in the air. She rammed the gloves back into his jacket.

"A-Alright! One second!" She scurried into the kitchen. As she made the tea, Mai glanced at the clock in the sitting room. 11:50 A.M., it read.

_Guess I should get tea ready for the potential clients, as well. I think the caller said over the phone that she was bringing one other person… so, I need four cups. No – five, including myself._ Nodding to herself, Mai pulled five cups out of the cabinet, along with a tray to rest them on.

A couple of minutes later, Mai had all the cups balanced on the tray and was just leaving the kitchen when the doorbell rang. She carefully placed the tray on the table by the couches before rushing to the door.

Opening it, Mai examined the two people before her. One was a man, while the other was a woman – most likely the one who had called beforehand, Kaoru Hiraoka. The man had an arm wrapped around the woman's shoulders.

"Hello!" Mai greeted the two, then turned to the woman, "Are you Hiraoka-san?" The woman nodded in response.

"Yes, I am Kaoru Hiraoka. You may call me Kaoru, if you wish. This is my fiancé, Chiaki Tsukino." The man tipped his head, and Mai smiled at him.

"Well, congratulations to you both! Ah – Please, come in… I have some tea prepared; feel free to have a seat. I'm going to go get my boss." She showed the two of them to the couches before bowing and heading to Naru's office. Opening the door, she poked her head in.

"Naru, they're here!" He walked towards her, placing a book down as he did so. Mai looked at it, then back to him.

"Jeeze, is there any book you haven't read?" Naru gave her a look.

"Is there any book you have read?" Mai crossed her arms as he passed her. "Maybe that's why you don't do well in school." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"I do _fine_ in school, thank you very much!" Turning on her heel, she relayed her message to Lin, who followed her to the couches.

The two clients sat on one side, while the three SPR members sat on the other. Lin prepared his pen and paper, while Naru took a couple sips of tea. Kaoru and Chiaki awkwardly sipped their tea, as well, nervousness apparent in their miens. Setting his cup down, Naru shifted his attention to the two before him.

"Na – Boss, this is Chiaki Tsukino and his fiancé, Kaoru Hiraoka. Tsukino-san and Hiraoka-san, this is my boss, Kazuya Shibuya." Mai introduced them to each other. Naru nodded curtly, activating his business mode.

"Would you two tell me your reasons for requesting to come in today?" The two clients shared a glance. Chiaki cleared his throat.

"Well, Shibuya-san, my fiancé and I believe that there is some sort of _thing_ in our house. I was never one to believe in supernatural ideas, but I have come to accept that there is definitely something unnatural in my house." Kaoru grabbed onto his hand, nodding sadly. Naru looked slightly impatient.

"Can you explain what has changed your mind?" Chiaki shook his head.

"Right, sorry. You see, I just moved into my fiancé and her sister's house about… two weeks ago. The first couple of days that I was there, everything was fine. However, as the days passed, my fiancé and I started to see weird apparition-things. During the daytime, there would be shadows in places where the sun was brightly shining, and there were no objects around to make the shadows!" He frowned deeply.

"We just figured that the lights were playing tricks on us and, for the most part, tried to ignore the shadows. A day or two later, however, I started to notice that items would move overnight. There are certain objects that I like to keep in certain places, so it didn't take long for me to realize that something was going on. I asked my fiancé and her sister about them, but they insisted that they didn't move anything. I couldn't come up with a plausible reason, so I just pushed the thoughts out of my mind. But then…" He glanced at Kaoru, who had tightened her grip on his hand.

"The voices started," she whispered. Mai felt a shiver run along her body. _Voices?_

"What were the voices saying?" Naru asked, completely unmoved. Hiraoka-san glanced at him, tears in her eyes.

"I've only heard them say one thing… and as far as I know, I-I'm the only one who has heard them. My sister doesn't a-answer me when I ask her about them, and Chiaki says t-that he hasn't heard them. When I hear the voices… something n-nearby me always breaks or c-cracks. The last time I h-heard them, the lights flickered… and a p-picture frame that I h-have rose into the air like it was going to… to…" She covered her face with her hands, and Chiaki started to rub her back. Mai realized that she was death-gripping the couch, so she loosened her hold. Naru narrowed his eyes.

"Hiraoka-san, if you can, tell us – what do the voices say to you?" Kaoru removed her hands and sat up a little straighter, wiping her eyes quickly with her hands. She breathed in a shaky breath and tore her gaze from the floor to look at Naru, fear and confusion swimming in her eyes.

"_Why aren't I pretty enough?_"

* * *

**Alrighty then! :) Whaddya guys think so far? Sounding somewhat interesting?  
A fun fact, I kept spelling refrigerator wrong. Thank gosh for spell check!~  
**It'll be awhile before I update, probably!**  
I'm gonna be in a play! Gotta practice~  
Thanks again guys!  
-Allikitty13+Tuna =^.^=**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys :)  
I'm sorry that I take so long to update nowadays. I'm just busy. And tired. All that good stuff.  
But hey, I love all your comments! Logging onto my mail and having 30 messages is like HEAVEN.  
Hopefully, I can make this a good sequel for ya'll! Love you guys! Here's Chapter 2.  
I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT!**

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**The Mirror: Chapter 2**

Mai paused to look out the window, a box of equipment in her hands. She could see the rest of the team – excluding the late-arriving John and the completely-booked Yasuharu – putting different boxes into the SPR van. Ayako and Bou-san were bickering like they always did as they loaded in box after box. Masako, however, was just standing nearby, sleeve over her mouth. Mai couldn't help but roll her eyes. _Of course, Masako isn't doing the hard work. Why should she have to use her delicate little hands?_

Looking over, Mai spotted Lin, who had just placed a couple more things on the ground near the fighting duo. He eyed the two for a second and shook his head, before walking back towards the building. _Ayako, Bou-san, Masako, Lin… the only one missing is –_

"Mai."

She jumped, almost losing her grip on her current box of equipment. Swerving around, her eyes landed on Naru, who had just walked into the room. Mai secured her grip on the box and walked quickly towards the door.

"Sorry, Naru! I was kind of dazing off…" She shot a meek grin at him, then ran from the room. Naru stared at the doorway, lost in thought. _Mai… I wonder if she's alright. _He thought back to when he had walked in and noticed that Mai's hands were covered in band-aids – ones that had not been there at the consultation the day before. _Bandaged hands, dazing off… I'll have to ask her about those things later._

Naru was torn from his thoughts when a yell of "Sorry, Lin!" and a thud rang through the air. He let out a sigh. _But for now, I should make sure she doesn't hurt herself any more than she already has._

Picking up his notebook from his office desk, he briskly walked out of the building.

* * *

Mai slowly opened her tightly squeezed eyes. Lin, Masako, Ayako, and Bou-san came into focus, all of them staring down at her. _What the…? One minute, I was leaving the office. The next minute, I'm lying on the ground! _She heard Lin place something on the ground as he kneeled at her side.

"Taniyama-san, are you alright?" Mai swiveled her head to the side. _Lin? Oh! Right! I ran out of the office… and smacked into Lin-san… and in order to save the equipment, I threw the box into his arms and… fell over?_

"Ah – yes, I'm fine, Lin-san," she assured him, pulling herself up into a sitting position. Lin placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Go slowly. Does anything hurt? Do you feel dizzy?" Mai shook her head, smiling.

"Nope! I've fallen so many times, I bet my body is used to it by now." Lin nodded, smiling slightly, and held out a hand as he stood up. Mai took it and pulled herself up, dusting her pants off. Ayako and Bou-san let out sighs of relief and began fussing over her, and she reassured them as she laughed.

"Being klutzy has its advantages, doesn't it?" Masako smirked from behind her sleeve. Mai stuck her tongue out at her.

"Lin, what happened?" Naru called as he reached the group. Lin motioned to Mai as she picked up the abandoned box.

"Taniyama-san and I ran into each other, and she fell in the process. She seems uninjured –"

"But the important thing is that I protected the equipment!" She stated proudly as she went to put it in the van. Naru stood there in silence, and the others looked at him. He paused, then followed after her. When he reached the van, he crossed his arms.

"Mai, don't ever put the equipment's safety before your own." Mai straightened up, smacking her hands together. As she shut the doors, she turned to him.

"Naru, the equipment is worth a lot of –"

"I don't care," he stated firmly, "I can always buy more equipment. I can't buy another you if you get seriously injured. Understood?" Mai looked him in the eyes, her heart momentarily swelling at his words. A smile broke out on her face.

"Yep. Got it, Naru." Naru cracked a small smile, then headed back towards the others, who were just standing quietly where they had been left. Mai hurried after him.

"If I could, I would have bought a Mai that didn't have so many damaged brain cells," he stated, his smile now a smirk. Mai jabbed him in the arm with her finger.

"There you go, ruining the moment!"

"Mai, act your age." She crossed her arms, turning her head away from him. "Back to work related topics." He turned to the others.

"The van is loaded, and we are ready to head over to the Hiraoka residence. I trust you all read the case's information, which I e-mailed to each of you last night?" Masako, Ayako, and Bou-san all nodded, earning one from Naru in return.

"Good. Takigawa-san, I want you to drive yourself and Matsuzaki-san. Follow our car to the household. Lin, Mai, Harada-san, and I will ride in the van. Got it?" The group agreed to his orders and dispersed.

* * *

Sliding into the backseat of the van, Mai glanced at Masako out of the corner of her eye. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't really talked to Masako about her and Naru's relationship. Sure, Masako hadn't seemed angry or upset with Mai – not any more than she had been before the two had started going out, anyway. After sneaking one last peek at the kimono-clad girl, Mai turned her gaze to look out the window.

_It's been a while since I've seen Masako fawn over Naru… Ever since he returned, she hasn't tried to buy his attention or anything like that. Maybe she has finally moved on…?_

That brought a new thought on.

_Who has she have moved on to, if anyone?_ Mai tapped her head against the window. _Who? -tap- Who? -tap- Who?_

"Mai?" Mai snapped her head to the left. Masako was giving her a strange look. "Are you alright?" Smiling at her, Mai waved a hand.

"Oh, yeah. I was just thinking."

"Don't strain yourself," Naru warned from the passenger seat. Mai glared at the back of his seat. Pulling out yet another book, he said, "Just go to sleep, Mai. It's going to be a longer ride than usual." Mai frowned.

"You make it sound so easy! No one can just fall asleep!" She told him as she leaned her head against the window and shifted into a comfortable position.

Within five minutes, Mai was sound asleep.

* * *

Mai dozed in and out of sleep. Each time she awoke, she would realize that she didn't have a dream, and then doze off again. By the fifth or so time, Mai was about ready to just stay awake and give up. As she went back to sleep, however, she dreamt.

_Mai rubbed her eyes, blinking the sleepiness out of them. _Finally! It's about time I got one of these!

"_Hello, Mai!" A cheerful voice called from her right. Mai turned to see Gene walking towards her. She smiled and waved a hand._

"_Hi, Gene. How are you?" Gene shrugged._

"_Same old, same old. Sorry that it took so long for this dream to come in. I took a little longer in observing the house." He gestured out with a hand. Mai turned and gasped. _When did that…?

_A two storied, wide house constructed of blue paneling stood before them. Surrounding it was a black, metal fence. The lawn was well-cared for, and flowers were blooming all around the yard. A path stretched straight from the front door to a metal gate in the fence. Mai took a step towards it, and the gate opened automatically for her. She glanced around as she walked down the path, Gene following close behind her._

"_I love all of these flowers!" Gene nodded at her, smiling._

"_They are quite nice, and they seem to suit a peaceful house like this." Mai turned to him, eyebrows raised. He walked up to the door of the house and looked at it intently._

"_I've been searching this house, trying to see what is haunting it. I've checked and double-checked, but – as of right now – there seems to be merely a handful of harmless spirits that are trapped here." He placed a hand onto the door._

"_I haven't felt the auras of any extremely powerful beings or enraged spirits. Like I said, the spirits here appear to be harmless, and anything supernatural that has been experienced by the owners may just be the result of these spirits simply being here." Mai walked over to stand next to him and glanced up at his face._

"_Well, that's good! It's nice to have an easy case every now and then." Gene removed his hand and turned to Mai._

"_True. However, I would still be cautious. It's not very often that you guys receive easy cases, and I could just be unable to sense a stronger spirit for whatever reason."_

"_Gotcha," Mai said, "We'll have Masako check it out, see if she senses anything."_

"_Well," he sighed, "guess you should get going. I think someone is calling you." Mai noticed a faint tugging in the back of her mind. She ignored it momentarily._

"_You aren't going to show me any visions?" Gene shook his head at her._

"_No… I've got nothing to show you. The ghosts residing here have no memories available for sharing."_

"_Oh… Well, okay then! It was nice seeing you again, Gene." He smiled at her._

"_You too, Mai."_

_Looking down, Mai saw her body start to fade, the tugging in her head becoming stronger. Suddenly, she glanced back up._

"_Oh! Gene – by the way – Naru says that you should mind your own business!" Gene laughed at her words._

"_What kind of brother would I be if I did that?"_

Mai opened her eyes to find Masako shaking her. Stretching her arms in front of her, she looked around.

"Ne, where's Naru and Lin?" Masako pointed to the back of the van, just as the doors opened.

"She's awake." Masako stated, getting out of the van. Mai hopped out and looked out at the house and the area around it. A few houses were scattered here and there, and they all looked the Hiraokas', but with different colored paneling. The sound of a car pulling up brought Mai's attention back to the team. Bou-san and Ayako climbed out of Bou-san's car, joining everyone else at the back of the van. Naru cleared his throat.

"I am going to go and meet up with the clients. I want the rest of you to start bringing the equipment to the door, and I'll have you bring it inside after they show me to our base." He set off for the house, and Mai got into step next to him.

"Naru, I had a dream! It wasn't a very exciting one… Gene explained to me that he wasn't sensing anything strong here – just some weak spirits that seem harmless," she told Naru, who narrowed his eyes.

"For some reason, I feel less assured with 'weak' and 'harmless' spirits," he stated as he rang the doorbell. Mai shrugged.

"Why? It could just be an easy case." He turned to her, a serious look on his face.

"Or it could just appear to be that way. I don't want to be reckless. We will investigate this like we always do, weak spirits or not." At that moment, the door swung open, revealing an anxious Kaoru.

"Oh, Shibuya-san, Mai-san!" She glanced past them, saying, "And the rest of your team. Oh, pardon me! I'm a little frazzled. Please, come in. I'll show you to your rooms." She stepped inside, motioning for the couple to follow her. Mai and Naru were led past a staircase, through a decent-sized kitchen, and down a spacious hallway. At the end of the hallway, two more branched off of it – one that went to the left and one that went to the right.

As Kaoru led them to the left, Mai couldn't help but look down the right hallway. What she saw made her breath catch, and she froze.

Staring back at her was – well – herself. Her reflection was being shown to her by a floor length mirror. What amazed her was not her reflection, but the beauty of the mirror. The glass was spotless, and the frame was made of what appeared to be silver. Intricate shapes and designs were carved into the silver, and – when looked at just right – the designs would reflect the overhead lights and shine. _It's so breathtaking…_

"Mai-san?" A voice called from behind her. Mai jumped, realizing that she was about two feet from the mirror. _I guess I had walked towards it to get a closer look!_ She shook her head and turned to face Kaoru.

"Sorry! It's just – this mirror – it's so beautiful!" Kaoru smiled and nodded.

"Yes. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it. It's part of the reason why I wanted to buy this house," she admitted, laughing lightly. Mai returned the smile, and then peeked around the lady.

"Where's Na – Shibuya-san?" The woman pointed down the hallway.

"He left after I showed him the rooms. I think he went to inform your teammates…" Mai put her hands on her hips._ He could've told me he was leaving!_

"Well, we should probably go after him, Mai-san," Kaoru said, heading down the hall. Mai followed after her, sneaking one last look at the mirror as she left.

* * *

A half-an-hour later, the team was assembled in the base room, equipment – excluding the microphones and the cameras – in place. Kaoru Hiraoka bowed from her spot next to Mai.

"Thank you all for coming. I really – _truly –_ appreciate your help." Ayako, Bou-san, and Mai smiled at her, while the others just nodded. Kaoru turned to Naru, who was sitting at a table, straightening the monitors.

"Shibuya-san, I wanted to inform you my fiancé will be home… soon, I hope. He went out to try and find my sister, who left the house yesterday morning in a rage." The woman frowned. "I ask that you please be patient with her… she has been very temperamental lately. I will try to keep her out of your way." Naru turned to face her.

"I understand. If anything, it may be better if she were to leave the house for a while. You have no idea of where she may be, so that you may ask her to stay somewhere safe?" Kaoru shook her head.

"No… but as for leaving the house, as soon as we find her, she and I will be going to stay with our mother. My fiancé does not want her and me to remain in the house while any of this is going on."

"That would work out best, I believe. As for right now, I would like you to remain in the base, as it seems that the ghost has approached you the most. Mai, Takigawa-san, and Matsuzaki-san, I want you to go around and set up the microphones and cameras. Hara-san, go with them, and let them know of any areas that appear to have increased amounts of spiritual activity." The four of them stood up and headed for the door, picking up microphone and camera boxes on the way.

"We'll be back!" Mai called from the doorway. Kaoru smiled at her as she sat down quietly in one of the chairs in the room. _Hopefully she doesn't die of boredom… I highly doubt those two will talk to her! _ Mai laughed as she hurried down the hall after the others.

_Flash!_

She stopped as she turned the corner. Taking a step back, she glanced down the hallway. _Did the mirror just… flash?_ Her gaze moved upward, and she blinked. _Oh! It probably reflected off the ceiling lights…_

"Yo, Mai?" Tearing her eyes from the mirror, Mai turned to see Bou-san, Ayako, and Masako staring at her from the end of the hall. She quickly walked towards them, laughing. The mirror soon slipped from her mind.

* * *

A little bit later, the four of them were walking back towards the base, their boxes now empty. Masako was walking in front, followed by the bickering duo, and then Mai, who was laughing at the two of them. Suddenly, Masako stopped, and Bou-san and Ayako bumped into her, which led to Mai bumping into them.

"Excuse _me_," Masako said angrily, "I am going to use the restroom." She stalked into a door to their left and slammed it shut.

After a moment of silence, the three in the hallway burst into silent fits of laughter.

"Did you see how mad she got?" Mai whispered, pointing a finger at the two in front of her. They continued to laugh silently. Bou-san walked forward to pick up the boxes he dropped, a smile plastered on his face. Ayako stood next to him, whispering about how the whole thing was his fault. Mai yawned and rolled her eyes. _Those two…_

Blinking a couple of times, she yawned again. Mai glanced wearily around her, noticing that everything was becoming blurry. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, only to struggle when she tried to open them again. Her eyelids felt like weights, and they were slowly closing.

"Guys..." Mai spoke weakly, reaching out a hand towards them. She stumbled forward as her eyes closed. The last thing she saw was a smiling Ayako turning slightly towards her, before she succumbed to the darkness and fell to the floor.

* * *

**Ahhh! Passing out is no fun~  
Anyway, I really am sorry that my updates are bad. D:  
New Kingdom Hearts Game + Maplestory + Tiredness = Bad Updates.  
I will try and put the next one out soon!  
Please, be patient!  
-Allikitty13+Tuna=^.^=**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello to all!  
Once again, sorry that my updating is like road kill. Monthly road kill. I had to reedit this part because it talked about how I was pumped for school to start… Been in it for about 2 months now…  
The reason why I haven't been updating? HOMEWORK. SO MUCH I WANT TO EXPLODE. Literally. I wake up, go to school, come home, do homework, go to sleep. Repeat. It's bad!  
*sigh*  
Anyhoo, as always, your comments? I love them! My parents always give me weird looks because I have a dorky smile on my face when I read them! Well, here's Chapter 3! R&R?  
I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT!**

* * *

**The Mirror: Chapter 3**

"_Mai?"_

_Mai snapped up into a sitting position. _I'm… dreaming? _Kneeling besides her was Gene, who was looking at her with a troubled expression._

"_G-Gene? But… I wasn't even tired! I just – wait! Was I possessed?" Mai frantically glanced at her hands and then back to Gene. He shook his head._

"_No, you were not possessed. I made you fall asleep," he explained, causing Mai to let out a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry for forcing you into this realm… I just discovered that something was terribly wrong with my original observations." He shifted his gaze from Mai and looked straight ahead. Mai hesitantly followed his gaze, her heart dropping as she looked at what was in front of her._

_It was a house. The Hiraokas' house. Except that it wasn't clean and surrounded by beautiful parts of nature like before. Instead, the blue paint on the house was chipped and peeling. The grass was yellow, and all of the flowers were dying. The black gate was rusting, and different parts of it lay broken on the ground. The pathway, Mai noticed, seemed strangely untouched._

_Mai stood up and slowly approached the gate. Just as the last time, the gate entrance swung open. This time, however, it emitted a horrible screeching sound, followed by the door falling off of its hinges. Taking a jumpy step back, Mai tried to fight down the fear that had risen within her. She stepped through the gate._

_The moment her foot hit the cement, a huge crack split from her foot to the front door. Gene caught Mai as she stumbled backward, almost falling._

"_Wh-What is happening? Gene?" Mai glanced up at him, not feeling reassured by his worried gaze._

"_I don't know… Nothing has appeared. I haven't felt anything new." He stared at the run-down house._

"_It just changed for some reason – one that I haven't discovered yet. That's why," he said, turning back to Mai, "I called you here. Has anything happened? Anything at all?"_

_Thinking over the events of the day, Mai slowly shook her head. Gene frowned._

"_Then, I don't understand why the house has transformed!" Silence followed his words._

"_Well, are the spirits still harmless?" Mai asked hesitantly. Gene looked at her._

"_That's the weird thing. They still seem harmless enough, but all of a sudden, they appear to be… restless. Like they're anxious, waiting for something to happen." Mai wrapped her arms around herself._

"_I _really _don't like the sound of that," Mai said quietly. "Gene – does that mean something _is_ here? Something serious?" Gene stepped towards her, shaking his head._

"_Not necessarily. The harmless spirits could just be a bit perturbed at having more people in their home. This may just be another effect of them being here." He put his hands on Mai's shoulders, looking into her eyes._

"_Mai, I want you to keep a look out. If anything seems out of the ordinary, if anything happens to anyone, you must tell me. Whatever you see may help me be able to find out why the house in this realm changed." Mai gave a quick nod, followed by a worried smile._

"_I'll do my best, Gene. And before you say it, I will be sure to be careful and stay by Naru." Gene smiled._

"_Thank you, Mai. I'm going to send you back now, quickly, since the others are bound to be worried about you."_

"_I forgot about them!" Mai burst out, covering her mouth with her hand. Gene slowly raised a hand and rested it on Mai's eyes._

"_Gene, what are you-?"_

"_See you later, Mai," she heard him whisper, before she drifted into unconsciousness._

* * *

"Ah!" Mai yelled as she sat up. A loud thump resonated from her right. Mai turned to see Naru holding a hand gingerly to his head, a glare now pointed in her direction.

"H-Hi… Naru," Mai said slowly, as she took in her surroundings, "When did I get to the base?" Naru sighed.

"Mai, I would appreciate it if you would try not to yell so abruptly when you wake up." He straightened the monitor that his head had made contact with, making sure that the corner no longer hung off the edge of the shelf. "And you were transferred to this room after you passed out in the hallway."

"Oh…" Walking over to him, Mai clasped her hands behind her back. "Sorry, Naru. Is your head okay?"

Naru looked at her for a brief moment, then turned away. "I'll live. It's not that big of a deal… After all, _I_ still have _plenty_ of brain cells left." Mai flung her hands in the air.

"_Again_ with the stupid brain cells? I -!" She sighed, lowering her hands. "Never mind, never mind. Earlier, when I passed out, it was because of Gene. The Hiraokas' house in my dream place doesn't look so nice anymore, so he wants us to be on the lookout." Naru sat back down in his abandoned chair.

"So, now he senses something? Something that isn't 'harmless'?" Mai shook her head.

"Well – no. He still senses the same things… All he mentioned was that the harmless spirits here seem a little bit restless. Or anxious. Something like that." The two of them sat in silence - Naru had his hand cupping his chin, and Mai was watching him, waiting for a response. She let her mind wander, thinking about the case and how everything was going along. That's when she realized that something was missing.

"Hey, Naru, where are the others?" She glanced around the empty base. _Now that I think about it, it's awfully quiet, isn't it?_

"Lin left to go get Brown-san, who thought that we were meeting up at the SPR building. Matsuzaki-san and Takigawa-san were getting on my nerves, so I sent them along. Hiraoka-san was feeling uneasy, and Lin offered to take her along for the ride. And Hara-san wanted to go, as well, for whatever reason." He explained all of this while examining all of the monitors, recording the temperatures in a notebook. Mai raised her eyebrows.

"You just let them all go? What if something happens?" Naru paused, turning his head towards her.

"You don't think I'm capable of protecting you?" Mai felt her face warm up.

"No, it's not that! It's just… I don't know," she admitted, shrugging. Naru continued writing.

"Up until the dream you just had, nothing's changed. No one has been attacked, no temperatures have risen, no item has been moved. As of right now, I'm not seeing a big threat. Besides, anything mildly serious that has happened has happened to Hiraoka-san, so I'd prefer that she leave the house for a while. If all goes well, her fiancé will return soon, and then they can both leave the house tonight."

Mai muttered a quiet 'Oh', and then sat down on the couch. After a couple of minutes, she shifted into a comfortable position and let her eyes close, content on listening to the scratching noises of Naru's pen.

_Scrtch. Scrtch. Scrtch._

Oddly, Mai found the sound soothing. Within minutes, she was sound asleep once more.

* * *

When Mai awoke hours later, it was to find Naru in the exact same seat, now with a book in his hand. She stretched her arms, causing him to glance at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I've never met someone who can sleep as much as you, Mai." He stated, eyes refocusing on his book. She rubbed her eyes.

"I've never met someone who can _read_ as much as you, Naru," Mai muttered, standing up. "How long was I asleep?"

"About 4 ½ hours." She blinked, surprised. _Jeeze! It didn't feel like that long…_

"Well, I'm going to go to the washroom, alright? I'll yell if anything happens." Mai paused in the doorway, and looked back. Earning a slight nod from Naru, she left the room.

* * *

Mai opened the bathroom door and turned off the light, humming a tune to a random song that had popped into her head. She absentmindedly turned her head as she went around the corner, and her eyes locked onto the mirror.

_Oh! I forgot that that was there…_

Mai realized that on her way to the bathroom, she had been completely focused on a marking on her sock, totally oblivious to the wonder at the end of the hall. _How could I miss the chance to look at such a beautiful thing? It's really…_

She unconsciously reached out a hand and rested it on the shimmering, silver frame.

_SLAM!_

Mai jumped, her heart momentarily frozen. She pressed her back against the wall, heart now pounding, and stared at her outstretched hand. Her eyes wandered down the hall. _I don't remember walking…_

"Mai!" Naru ran out of the door of the base room. Pushing herself off the wall, Mai quickly walked towards him, placing her hand over her frightened heart. They met in the middle of the hallway.

"Are you alright? What was that noise?" He asked her, earning a shaky nod from Mai.

"I-I don't know. I was looking in the mirror, and I touched it, and then that noise just -!"

"Kaoru!" A male voice echoed through the house, causing Mai and Naru to snap their heads towards the hallway that led to the entry room. After a moment's hesitation, Naru brushed past Mai and walked briskly down the hall, calling, "Tsukino-san?" as he reached the end of it. After sneaking one more glance at the mirror, Mai quickly followed after him.

Passing through the kitchen, Mai spotted Naru and a concerned-looking Mr. Tsukino in the middle of the entry hall, deep in discussion.

"So – my wife? She's out with your colleagues?" Tsukino-san was asking frantically. Naru nodded calmly.

"Yes. I figured that it would be best for her to be out of the house, considering that the spiritual activity seemed to be stronger around her." A breath of relief left the worried man's mouth.

"Thank you," he said, then, noticing Mai next to Naru, added, "both of you. I'm sorry for slamming the door into the wall. The wind caught it, and it swung open much harder than I had intended." Mai smiled at him, internally grateful that the noise hadn't been anything supernatural. Or anything to do with the mirror, for that matter.

"Tsukino-san, did you have any luck finding Kaoru-san's sister?" Mai asked him, remembering Kaoru's words from earlier that day. She couldn't help but feel worried about the unknown woman.

"Ah," Chiaki muttered with a frown, "No. I couldn't find her. And I even risked my wife's safety to _try_ and find her." He sighed. "Honestly. If that woman _knew_ the trouble she was causing, making Kaoru worry like she is…" Mai frowned slightly.

"Well, I'm sure she'll show up eventually," she said, trying to reassure the man. He, in turn, gave her a half-hearted smile, which was followed by another sigh.

"At times, I feel as if I'd rather she not come back at all. She makes me uneasy…" Naru ever-so-slightly raised an eyebrow.

"Why would you say that, Tsukino-san?" Chiaki looked at him, a weird look on his face.

"I'm… not exactly sure. But my wife feels the same way. It's almost as if we're – well – afraid that she'll snap on us if we say something wrong." He shook his head. "She wasn't always this… temperamental."

Naru and Mai stared at the man; Naru had a thoughtful look on his face, while Mai's face was full of sadness.

"Tsukino-san, would you mind coming to our base and answering some questions?" Naru asked. Chiaki took a deep breath and nodded.

"Sure, if you think it will help with whatever's going on here." Naru turned and led the way back to the base, the other two quickly following behind him.

* * *

Naru sat across from Chiaki, a notebook and pen in his hands. As he began the questions, Mai began to record the data on the monitors.

"What is the name of Hiraoka-san's sister?"

"It's Miho Hiraoka. And like I said, she used to be a kind woman. I don't really understand what happened…"

"How long have you known her?"

"Well, Kaoru, Miho, and I were childhood friends. So, I've known her for as long as I can remember."

"When did you first notice the change in her personality?

"I… would guess it was around the time that we all began living in this house together."

At this point, Mai drowned their voices out, her mind dying of boredom at the unchanging monitors. _Why even bother checking them? Nothing's happening!_ _Temperature's the same. No movement._ She sighed, her pencil scribbling repeatedly against her notepad. Just as she was about to stop her worthless task, Mai caught something out of the corner of her eye.

She looked up at the monitor that showed the hallway outside their base room, the one containing the mirror. Squinting her eyes, Mai stood up on her tiptoes and tried to get a better look. Was the mirror looking darker, or was it just her?

_SLAM!_

Mai ducked, shielding her head with the notepad. Naru's gaze flew to the door, and Mr. Tsukino grimaced. Voices mumbled in the background.

"Sheesh… was it really that loud?" Chiaki mumbled. Mai stood up straight and nonchalantly cleared her throat. _Can't believe it scared me again…_

Tsukino-san jumped up and quickly left the room, muttering something about his wife. Mai glanced from the doorway to Naru, who nodded at her. He walked past her, and she closely followed behind, the monitor's picture easily forgotten.

As Naru turned the corner of the hallway that led to the entry hall, Mai caught a glimpse of the mirror.

She froze in her tracks. The mirror flashed at her eyes, dark red. No sooner did the color fade, and with it went her consciousness.

* * *

_Thump._

Naru stopped, his ears picking up the muffled noise from behind him. _Mai probably ran into a wall again…_ He turned, retracing his steps.

"Mai, if you really have time to –" He halted, noticing a pair of feet at the end of the hallway.

"Mai," he whispered, taking a step forward. "Mai!" He quickened his pace and sprinted towards them, almost tripping over Mai's fallen body as he rounded the corner. She was lying stiffly on the floor, like a board, with one arm outstretched towards the mirror.

Naru stooped to her side and cradled her now-limp body in his arms. _How many times do we have to go through this?_ He shook her, hoping that this was another act of Gene's. He pressed two fingers against her neck, grateful to find a pulse beating. Her chest was rising and falling – another good sign. His eyes searched her face, only to see her eyebrows knit together, her mouth half-heartedly forming words.

_She's alright. Obviously she's dreaming. She's okay. Everything's fine._ Naru repeated these words in his head, thoroughly unhappy with his inability to remain calm. He'd always been able to remain calm – well, at least until he had met Mai. Then, gradually, his feelings had begun to disobey him by becoming more obvious, more emotional. It irked him to no end… but was it a bad thing? Naru wasn't completely sure.

Mai's lips continued to open and close, speaking silent words. He placed his ear closer to her mouth.

"What? Mai, what did you say?" Mai's face twisted, and her body tensed.

"…back," she whispered. Naru pulled back and looked her in the face. _Back?_ He tapped her cheek with his hand, trying to wake her up once again. After a few brief seconds, Mai's face twitched. Her eyelids snapped open to reveal burning red eyes.

"_She's back."_

* * *

**I've been waiting to make this part in the story since, like, forever. Once again, I'm sorry about my updating! I promise that once I have a break from school and homework, I will update as much as possible.  
Please be patient and stay with me! :)  
-Allikitty13 + Tuna =^.^=**


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh, guys! I have missed you so! My heart wrenched when some of you sent me messages and begged me not to discontinue the story. I swear to you all I will NOT do that! I am on Christmas Break now, so I will try to get a chapter or two in. What can I say? School rules my life. That was why I was weary to start this just as summer was ending. I will update as soon as I can! I promise! Here's Chapter 4!  
As always: R&R? :)  
I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT!**

* * *

**The Mirror: Chapter 4**

_Mai inhaled sharply as her eyes opened. She covered her ears as she sat up, for a shrill shrieking was filling the air. Her eyes took in the scene around her, which consisted of the Hiraoka house shaking and collapsing, and the light of the dream world turning blood red. Mai tried to stand up without letting her panic get the best of her._

"_Gene?" Mai's voice came out frantic. "Gene!" Her hands returned to her ears, and she shut her eyes, desperate to shut out the blood-redness of the unpleasant world around her. _Why is this happening? Where's Gene? Someone – help me!

_Silence._

_All of a sudden, Mai felt the shaking stop, along with the noise. Hesitantly, she opened an eye. The other soon followed, and her hands left her ears. She looked around, shaking – this time, from her emotions._

_Time seemed to have frozen. The chunks of the house that had been falling had stopped in midair. Mai let out a shaky breath, grateful that the shrieks had ceased, as well. The light of the dream world, however, was still crimson._

"_Mai…" A quite voice broke out from her right. Mai spun around, her eyes wide with fright. She felt instantaneous tears spring to her eyes when the somewhat see-through form of Gene appeared in front of her. He smiled sadly at her as she hurried towards him._

"_Gene, I –" She stopped, noticing that Gene's spiritual form was flickering. He looked down at his hands, and a moment of pain echoed across his face. "Why are you…?"_

"_It's gotten bad, Mai. Whatever we thought before was wrong." Gene shook his head, emotion in his eyes. "I was too stupid to realize that the thing haunting this place just wasn't here at the time you guys arrived. Whatever it is, it's arrived, and it's trying to keep me away." He turned his head downwards, and Mai reached a hand out to put it on his shoulder. All it did was go right through him._

"_So…" Mai frowned, staring blankly at her hand. "It's… back?"_

_At her words, the shrieking began again._

"_BAAAAAAAAAAACK! BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!" On impulse, Mai gasped, thrusting her hands back over her ears. She turned towards the once-again-collapsing house, only to find dark, disfigured entities rushing out the door in her direction. Mai stumbled backward, her breath caught in her throat, her body trembling madly._

"_G-Gene, what are –" A glance to right showed her that Gene was nowhere to be found. Whipping her head back, Mai noticed that the entities were getting closer and closer, faster and faster._

"_No… Please, no… Gene!" Mai began sobbing and tripped backwards, falling over from the movement. She pulled herself back, scrambling across the ground. The entities were practically upon her, looming down on her._

Naru…

_She inhaled once more as the black masses flowed into her body, all of them screaming the same thought in her head._

"_SHE'S BACK!"_

* * *

Mai blinked and coughed, her eyes opening to reveal an alarmed Naru looking down at her.

"Mai? What -?" He was cut off by Mai as she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. His arms unconsciously molded around the shaking form of the girl. Naru's mind raced into overdrive – one part of it was attempting to piece together what was going on, while the other was intent on calming his, as he believed, unnecessary panic.

Naru slowly rubbed her back, trying to be as un-awkward as he could. He looked around for a brief second before clearing his throat softly. Mai leaned back slightly, her hands covering her face, her shoulders still shaking.

"…Mai? Could you –?"

_SLAM!_

The once-again slamming door caused Mai to jump, and Naru snapped his head towards the hallway, agitation flashing momentarily in his eyes. Voices slowly permeated the air, with one of them – a high pitched, female voice – coming in as new to Naru's ears. He eyed Mai out of the corner of his eye, who also looked slightly confused. _Who…?_

"Oi! Naru!" Bou-san's voice echoed through the house. Naru sighed and looked down at the girl he held loosely in his arms, clearly suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. Mai smiled weakly at him. He relinquished his hold and stood, helping her up with him. Steadying his shaky girlfriend, Naru searched her face. She gazed at her feet momentarily before shrugging slightly at him.

"I'm okay… I think." Naru dropped one of her hands, but kept a firm hold on the other.

"Just in case," he pointed out, squeezing her hand. As he led them down the hallway, Mai couldn't help but feel better as she looked at their conjoined hands. She smiled a small smile and stumbled quietly behind Naru down the halls.

* * *

A strange sight greeted them when they reached the entry hall.

The team was there – Lin, Bou-san, Ayako, Masako, and John – and they were huddled in a group, all of them looking like drowned rats. Mai hesitantly returned the wave the drenched Bou-san sent their way, her emotions still shaken from the horrible dream-world experience. When Naru stopped, Mai looked up at him, her hand still in his as she stayed close to his side. She followed his concentrated eyes, which had narrowed in on the opposite side of the hall, where Chiaki and a soaked Kaoru were standing with an equally soaked, but unknown, woman.

The woman, as far as Mai could see, looked extremely similar to Kaoru. _Is that… Kaoru-san's sister?_ Mai frowned slightly. The lady didn't appear to be as harsh as Chiaki and Kaoru had described her as. Smiling happily, she was hugging her sister and talking animatedly to her future brother-in-law. Kaoru spun her sister slightly, which caused her to notice Mai and Naru standing off in the distance. Pulling herself out of her sister's grasp, she hurriedly brought Miho over to the duo.

"Oh, Shibuya-san! I'm terribly sorry for all this commotion!" Kaoru dipped her head, before straightening and motioning to her happy-faced sister. "Just as we were returning from picking up Brown-san – and I was filling your friends in on the case – we happened upon my sister, Miho Hiraoka."

"Why, hello!" Miho exclaimed, waving merrily. She looked at Naru for a brief second, then shifted her gaze to Mai. As Mai was watching her earlier, she had felt that something about the women was unsettling. When the two locked eyes, she figured out what it was: the woman's smile did not reach her eyes. Although her mouth gave off an air of happiness, her eyes did not; if anything, they gave off a condescending feeling, like she felt that she was too high maintenance to feel happiness.

Mai gave the woman a small nod and a polite smile before breaking their eye contact. She couldn't help but notice – as did Naru – that Miho's eyes shifted once more, but this time, to the pair's intertwined hands. Her eyes appeared to flash momentarily, until she looked back up at them, a 'smile' back in place. Naru narrowed his eyes, and Mai instinctively moved a bit behind him.

"Oh, a couple!" She squealed, clapping her hands together cheerfully. "Isn't that just _adorable_?" She asked, stressing the last word through clenched teeth. Before the 'adorable' couple could respond, Kaoru reentered the conversation, having momentarily walked over to Chiaki after introducing her sister.

"Ah – well, Shibuya-san, Mai-san, sister. Sorry to interrupt you all," she smiled sheepishly and turned to Naru. "My fiancé wishes to talk with you about a detail that he did not mention earlier. Of course, I also assumed that you would want to ask my sister for any details she has about… well, the happenings around here." At this, her eyes shifted uneasily to her sister, who was staring intently at the other, loudly conversing SPR members.

"Yes," Naru began, refocusing the woman's attention, "I would like to get her account on things, as well as any extra information Tsukino-san may have to offer. Perhaps –"

"Shibuya-san!" Interrupted Chiaki as he quickly walked over to the group. "Do you believe that we could have a discussion – I mean, between the four of us – in an upstairs room? Certain issues may be interpreted differently if done in smaller numbers," he explained offhandedly, also looking at his sister-in-law. At that moment, Miho returned her attention to those in front of her.

"Oh! Why, of course. I'd be glad to do all I can to help!" She grabbed onto her sister's arm and began to lead her up the big staircase, chattering about preparing the room. Chiaki sent Naru a helpless glance and then hurried after them.

_Something is definitely up…_ Mai thought to herself. _Even if Miho-san was nice and happy to begin with, the way she is acting is just too… fake!_

"Lin," Naru called firmly, breaking Mai's thoughts. In moments, the tall man appeared in front of the two. "Go get your laptop from the base. We are going to collect more information from the clients, who have requested it be done with as few people present as possible. Therefore, you and I shall be the ones to do it." Lin nodded at him and immediately walked towards the kitchen that led to the hallways. Mai furrowed her eyebrows.

"Naru, why can't I go, too? I mean, I-"

"No, Mai." Naru held up their paired hands, stating, "You've been crushing my hand for the past half hour. You need to recover from what happened earlier." Mai opened her mouth, making Naru silence her with a glare.

"Mai. I'm still your boss. You should listen to me while we are working." The girl gave him a look, then stared at the ground. Naru frowned. Sighing slightly, he said, "Plus, I don't completely trust Hiraoka-san's sister. Since she appeared to have an extreme dislike for the two of us, I would rather not have her try to do anything to you." Mai raised her head.

"So, it's okay if she does something to _you?_" She asked angrily. Naru spotted Lin over her shoulder, and he released her hand.

"Nothing is going to happen. Lin will be there." Ignoring her attempt to retaliate, he turned to the SPR team's huddle. "Takigawa-san, take everyone – including Mai – back to base. Watch the monitors and record the routine measurements until Lin and I return from talking to the clients." After receiving a nod from the wet-haired man, Naru walked towards Lin, who was waiting at the bottom of the stairs, laptop in hand. Mai paused, then followed him.

"Naru, I -!" Naru stopped moving, just as Mai had reached the bottom stair. Turning on the step he was on, he looked down at her – at first – sternly. Then, his look reluctantly softened.

"Mai, you need to rest. Earlier, when you had your 'dream', of sorts, I…" He paused, suddenly aware that Lin and the others were in close enough range to hear him. Clearing his throat, he continued, "For once, I permit you to sit and do nothing on the job. What happened earlier was tasking for you. We will discuss it later. Now, rest." And with that, he continued up the stairs with Lin.

Mai stared after him, a weird feeling in her stomach. _Jeeze! That Naru… He makes no sense sometimes._ She turned to find the others watching her. Bou-san and Ayako jabbed their fingers at her, mischievous smirks on their faces.

"Aw! He's worried about you!" Ayako said in a mocking tone. Bou-san laughed beside her, and John simply smiled, waving at Mai from behind the duo. Masako, as usual, covered her mouth with her sleeve; she walked towards the kitchen, and the incessantly joking members soon followed closely behind her.

* * *

The last thing Mai remembered before falling asleep was Bou-san complaining about the unchanging temperatures of the house. She had been lying on the couch, drifting in and out of the conversation, when she suddenly found herself in a dream.

_Mai walked down a forest path – one lined with beautiful, blooming cherry blossom trees. Happiness was permanently painted upon her features through the form of a never-ending smile. She couldn't help but be happy as she thought of who she was to meet that day. She skipped and twirled, completely in love with the beautiful petals that blew past her in the air._

"_Oh, the very world itself has given me pure happiness on this very day!" She sang to the trees, in a voice that was very unlike her own. Keeping her eyes along the path, she spotted the area where it split off and hurried along, anxiously wishing to reach her destination. At the end of this very long, man-made path, she came upon the glorious rock formation that she had adored since childhood. Her eyes locked onto a figure that was seated on the smallest of the rocks._

"_Li!" Mai called out cheerfully, cupping her hands around her mouth. The figure – who turned out to be a young man – turned at her voice and waved._

"_Hey, Minako!" Li – as Mai had called him – got up and started walking towards her. She, in turn, ran towards him, throwing herself in his arms. He spun her in a circle before placing her back on to the ground. The two laughed happily, and Mai held onto his hands._

"_So – what did you wish to partake upon today?" She asked him, earning herself a tap on the nose._

"_I am afraid, mi' lady, that that would be top secret information. But, I promise you. It will be tremendously fun!" He winked at her, then began to lead her back down the path she had come._

_The two walked for a while, talking about unimportant things. As Mai followed him, her mind was filled with extreme excitement; she couldn't help but wonder where Li was taking her!_

_At long last, the two reached a park, where little kids were shrieking and playing. Mai immediately recognized it as the park where she and Li had first met. She turned to ask him what was going on, when he pointed in the direction of the park's humongous tree. Underneath it was the set-up for a picnic._

"_Oh… This is lovely!" Mai cried as she approached the plaid blanket and wooden basket. Li walked beside her, bowing as they reached the checkered fabric._

"_After you, miss." Laughing, Mai gracefully sat down, motioning for Li to sit next to her._

_The next thing Mai knew, blurred images of them eating, laughing, and running around the park rushed through her mind, almost as if she were watching photographs that had been taken through Minako's eyes. Abruptly, they stopped, and time resumed its normal pace._

_Mai was watching the clouds in the sky as she spun in circles, laughing all the while._

"_Really, Li! I do not see what this has to do with anything at all! It is not even that difficult to do!" She exclaimed, recalling the dare he had called for her to do._

"_You'll see!" She heard his voice pause, then he said, "Alright, you can stop!" Standing still, Mai lowered her head, placing her hands on the sides of it to steady herself._

"_Oh, my! Besides making me quite dizzy, I do not –" Mai gasped as she took in the scene before her._

_Li was kneeling on one knee, a ring box opening in his hand to reveal a sparkling diamond ring. He smiled at her. His lips mouthed the words, but no sound came out. Mai, in response, also found herself mouthing soundless words. Her vision blurred as he stood, placing the beautiful ring on her finger. Just as he was leaning in close to her face, her vision blacked out, and a single voice spoke in her head:_

_Why aren't I pretty enough?_

* * *

Mai opened her eyes slowly, confusing pervading her mind. _That dream… Minako? Li? Those words… Where have I heard them before? _She sat up on the couch, unconsciously running a hand through her hair.

"Hey! Sleeping Beauty's awake!" Bou-san called from the chair opposite her. Mai turned to see him and Ayako sitting side by side, boredom quickly leaving their expressions.

"Whatever! Naru _told_ me to rest, you know." Mai looked over at the monitors, noticing that Masako and John were walking up and down the hallways, stopping at every other room. _Checking for activity, I guess…_ She shifted her gaze back to the two sitting with her, her confusion returning.

"I had a weird dream, guys. I don't really know what it has to do with our case yet…" Bou-san raised an eyebrow at her, while Ayako just shrugged, glancing at her nails.

"Maybe it was just a dream. A normal one – like the kind that normal people have?" Mai shook her head, ignoring Ayako's indirect way of calling her abnormal.

"No, I mean, it_ was_ one of _those_ dreams, but… I just don't know who the people in it are yet." Bou-san suddenly smiled, grabbed a notebook from the coffee table between them, and flipped to an open page, a pen suddenly in his hands.

"Alright, Mai. Please, do tell your boss what you saw in this dream of yours. Oh, and please, continue to pass on messages to my dead brother. Ask him where he hid my personality!" Bou-san demanded in a monotonous voice. Mai burst out laughing, and Ayako just rolled her eyes, unable to suppress the small smile that broke out on her face.

"Well, _sir_," Mai began in an army-office voice, but she was cut off, as the trio was interrupted in the way that they always were.

A horrible scream – one that sounded awfully high-pitched and girly – sliced through the air, silencing all in the house.

* * *

**Oh, snap. Haha! I hate that I use cliffhangers too much, but otherwise, I feel as if I end chapters badly.  
Well, I hope you guys liked it! I will try to update at least once more over Winter Break. I do have a lot of homework though – I mean, seriously, over break?  
Anyhoo, Happy Holidays to you all! And a Happy New Year! (Hopefully I update by then!)  
Please be patient! And thanks as always!  
-Allikitty13+Tuna=^.^=**


	5. Chapter 5

**Heya everyone! :) I am so sorry that I haven't updated in forever (I feel like I say this every time). It kills me that I am such a horrible updater. I promised that I would get a chapter done over Spring Break. Most of my time has been spent reading the Percy Jackson books, which are AMAZING. I completely recommend them. Anyhoo, here is chapter 5! I will see if I can update quicker, but school is just about to get insane, so we'll see. Enjoy! R&R?  
I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT!**

* * *

**The Mirror: Chapter 5**

"Should we even bother?" Bou-san asked half-heartedly, placing the notebook and pen down with a sigh. "It's not like someone's hanging from the railing of the second floor." Mai shot him a look.

"Not funny! That was terrifying to witness." She quickly stalked over to the door. "Besides, you've been waiting for something to do – both of you. Come on!" Ayako followed closely after her, smacking Bou-san in the arm as she went.

* * *

Each party – the trio from the base, the group involved with the interview, and the duo of Masako and John – stopped as they met in the middle of the entry hall. Mai immediately looked to Naru, confusion on her face.

"Wait, Naru? That scream didn't come from upstairs?"

"No," he stated, meeting her eyes with a gaze of deep thought, "but we are clearly aware of who screamed." Mai's eyes shifted to Kaoru, who was being comforted by her fiancé. At Naru's words, the woman covered her face with her hands.

"My sister!" she cried in a muffled voice, "We t-told her not to leave the room! A-And she just refused and was cruel about it and – oh, who _knows_ -!" Chiaki hushed her quickly, sending an apologetic look towards the ghost hunting group.

"Well," said a small voice, which made the group turn towards the kimono-clad girl in the back, "I vaguely recall seeing the sister head downstairs. Right, Brown-san?" She looked towards John, who jumped a little before responding with a nod.

"Now that you mention it," Bou-san added, "the scream did sound as if it was really close to the base."

"But where would she have been going to?" Ayako added with a wave of her hand. "To the bathroom? To one of our rooms?" Mai turned and hurried down the hall.

"Let's go check! I mean, she could just have been scared of something – maybe – in one of the rooms…?" Mai tried to hide the doubt in her voice.

But as the group began to search the rooms, she couldn't help but feel as if the woman was already far out of their reach.

* * *

An hour later, the dejected searchers met up in the base room. They had checked every single nook and cranny of the house, but Miho Hiraoka was nowhere to be seen.

In the tense moments that followed the fruitless search, Naru preceded to question Chiaki about any small details that he may have left out in the initial report he had given. Bou-san, Ayako, Misako, and John continued to look around for any possible clues to the disappearance of the screaming woman. Lin sat quietly at one of the tables, checking the monitors and doing research on his laptop. For a while, Naru's questions and Chiaki's responses were the only sounds in the room, besides the occasional sniffling of the distraught Kaoru, who was currently being comforted by Mai.

At one point, Mai broke out of her concerned silence to mention to Naru that she had had a dream – one of _those_ dreams.

"And?" He asked, flipping to a clean page in his notebook and positioning his pen at-the-ready. Mai scrunched up her eyebrows, trying to recall every detail of her dream.

"Well… there was a girl and a guy-"

"Please, tell me you are going to be more specific."

"You know – I just started!" She crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue at him. Realizing that he wasn't going to acknowledge her angered countenance, Mai unfurled her arms and let out a small huff.

"As I was saying, there was a girl and a guy. They weren't in the, um, unpleasant dream I had when I passed out in the hallway. That one just had to do with _bad_ things…"

"More specific than "things", if you don't mind."

"Ah, sorry! Well, it was all kind of red, and the house was crumbling, and there were these – uh – _things_, like creature things, and they were all screaming at me towards the end of it, but I'm –"

"You're rambling, once again. What were they screaming at you?"

"I think… it was 'she's back'… But I have no idea who they were referring to, or what they have to do with the other dream I had. Like I said, the girl and the guy – I'm pretty sure their names were Minako and Li – were –"

"Wait!" Kaoru snapped her head up. "M-Minako and Li Hirata?" Mai stared at the woman, a frown on her face.

"I'm not sure… why?" Mai stared at the woman and, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Naru had turned towards her, too, pen in hand.

"Minako and Li Hirata… they were the original owners of this house. I'm… afraid that I do not know too many details about their lives, but I do know that Minako-san… well, she passed away here under – um – unpleasant circumstances." Kaoru placed a fidgeting hand to her lips, her eyes filled with fear and concern.

"Unpleasant circumstances," Naru repeated. He turned to Chiaki, whose face had turned grim.

"Unfortunately, my knowledge of the matter does not reach that far beyond my wife's. All we were told was that the woman's death and the circumstances surrounding it shook up the community that existed at the time. As expected, rumors spread that the house was haunted, and it was left alone. Eventually, the stories died away, and this abandoned house was restored and sold at a cheap price." He and his wife exchanged a glance. "It's part of the reason why we bought this house. With such a good price, we didn't see any problem with the fact that a strange death had occurred in the past. I mean, people die in weird ways all the time… right?"

Chiaki looked at Naru hopefully, only to be met with silence. Mai cleared her throat quietly.

"Well, yes, considering what I've seen over my years with SPR, people can – um – perish in odd ways." The nervous man noticed a faraway look had gathered in her eyes. "_Really_ odd ways…"

"Mai." She snapped back to reality with a 'Huh?' of surprise. "I believe it is safe to assume that the couple in your dream is indeed the Hiratas. What exactly did your dream show you about their lives?"

Mai relayed her dream to him, being careful not to leave out any details. When she reached the end, she frowned. "I'm sorry… I guess I haven't reached the end of their tale yet. It usually takes a couple dreams to learn everything."

Lin swiveled in his chair. "There isn't much online about the Hiratas. One of the community's old newspaper articles is all I could find, and it barely gives any details concerning the wife's death. However, it does confirm that such a couple lived here."

Naru nodded as he finished the last couple of sentences of his notes. He opened his mouth to say something, only to be cut off by Mai.

"OH!" She yelled – a little bit too loudly – and jumped up from her chair, her hand stretched out in front of her. Chiaki and Kaoru stared at her in alarm, while Naru appeared to be either hiding a smile or trying not to yell. Mai lowered her hand and herself back into her seat.

"Uh, sorry. I just remembered something from my dream and why it sounded _so_ familiar! At the end of my dream, I heard a woman's voice – maybe Minako's – saying that phrase…" She motioned toward Kaoru, whose eyes widened with fear. "'Why aren't I pretty enough', right?" The woman nervously glanced between the other three in the room.

"W-What does that mean? The previous owner – the one who died mysteriously – is... _h-haunting_ my house?" Her husband quickly walked over and stood beside his wife, rubbing her shoulder soothingly. He looked at Naru expectantly.

Naru cupped his hand in his chin, his notepad placed on the table next to him. "We could assume that. However, there is no telling for sure if Minako Hirata is the one haunting this house. So far, Mai has not seen any reason for the woman to be stuck in the realm of the living. In most case scenarios, an inclination of emotions is what leads to someone being spiritually chained to our world. We are not yet aware of anything in the Hiratas' life except for their happy marriage."

"I guess we'll just have to wait for another dream," Mai muttered, hoping that things didn't immediately turn sour in her next dream. Shuddering, she recalled the dream she had had a long time ago, in the creepy house with the blood-bathing monster. Experiencing the feeling of death was something that she had hoped to never feel again. _And now I'm even looking for the flashback that shows me her death. Great!_

Mai looked up as she wrapped her arms around herself, only to see Naru staring at her. When their eyes met, she knew that he could tell what she was thinking about. Not wanting to make him worry – she still hadn't gotten used to fact that he worried about anything – Mai hastily moved her hands to her lap and attempted a smile. She shifted her gaze to the couple beside her.

"I wouldn't worry too much! We'll take care of it all and find Miho-san. Please, just believe in the SPR team." Mai hoped she exuded more confidence than she felt at the moment. Kaoru and Chiaki responded with small smiles.

"Heya! Hate to report this, but we found nothing." Bou-san announced as he waltzed in the door and saluted to Naru. Ayako, John, and Masako filed in quietly after him. The four gathered around those already in the room, and Masako set her gaze on Naru.

"Briefly, when the missing woman entered the house and when she disappeared, I thought that I felt a ghost's presence. It passed quickly, but from what I felt, the being we are dealing with has a strong emotional wave. The only feeling I felt was that of intense anger, as if I'd been betrayed by one of the most important people in my life." She shifted her sleeve on her arm, then placed it delicately over her mouth. "That is all I have felt, however. This ghost is either not able to sustain its strength for long periods of time or is strategically hiding itself from us."

Naru glanced at Mai, who seemed to be looking for answers in the carpet. "Were you able to sense the origin of this outburst of power you felt? Did you learn anything about the being's form?" Masako shook her head. Naru frowned and turned to rest of the group.

"I need to tell all of you what Mai recently dreamt of. But first," he looked at Chiaki, who was still standing beside his wife, "I want the two of you to continue with your plans. Leave this house. Go to stay at a relative's. It is dangerous to have a present condition that matches that of the past." Mai's head rose, her expression filled with confusion. Naru couldn't help but sigh. "And by that, I mean that the people involved in the past consisted of a married couple, and, at present, the two of you would be the perfect scenario for the ghost to use to recreate what happened in the past as a sort of revenge. It is far safer for you two to leave."

Chiaki's face seemed to flood with relief. He quickly helped his wife to stand. "Of course. I couldn't agree with you more. Do you need us for anything else before we leave?"

"No," Naru stated, "we'll keep in touch with you while you are gone. Lin, Bou-san, Matsuzaki-san, go help them move luggage to their car and make sure nothing happens. When you return, I'll fill the whole team in on Mai's dreams." As the four left the room, Naru faced Mai, who avoided his gaze. His voice was quiet when he spoke.

"I want you to sleep. I know that the most pleasant flashbacks may not await you, but it is necessary to carry on the case. As a part of the team –"

"I _know_, Naru." Mai said harshly. A moment passed, and she sighed. "I know. I didn't say I wouldn't do it. I'm just, you know, a little scared. Maybe."

"Mai-"

"No, Naru, really. It's fine. Forget I said anything." Mai laid herself down on the couch, turning so that she didn't have to face him. Masako and John awkwardly muttered something about going to check on the others and quickly left the room. A small sigh escaped Naru's mouth.

"It's not like I want you to have to go through something bad on purpose. If I had a choice, I'd make you stay awake until the case is over, but…" His voice faltered for a moment, but he soon recovered. "Without your dreams, we'd be stuck. The only way to progress would be to send someone out to encounter the ghost. And –"

"It'd be better for me to be mentally wounded than for someone else to be physically wounded? I get it." Mai stated, her voice somewhat muffled from her position on the couch. Naru was silent, so she figured that she had hit the nail on the head. Such a long period of silence passed that Mai wondered if Naru had gone back to his notes. The thought made her extremely upset. She rolled over to check, her emotions getting the best of her.

Mai froze when she noticed that Naru was sitting there, staring at her. An uncomfortable moment of silence passed.

"W-What?" Mai demanded uneasily. Naru closed his eyes.

"We'll be here. _I'll_ be here. If anything happens, just think of m… us. The team. That should bring you back to consciousness quickly. So, don't worry." He opened his eyes, and Mai felt comfort in their sharp shade of blue. She slowly smiled and let out a breath. The team would be there for her – Naru, too. They always were. Besides, how bad could the dreams involving such a happy couple be?

"Yeah," she whispered, closing her eyes, "Thank you, Naru."

And with that, she fell asleep.

* * *

"_Minako? You can open your eyes!"_

_Mai opened her eyes to see a beautiful house that was surrounded by tons of flowers. A singular path led up to the freshly painted front door. _This house… it's…?

"_Oh, Li, dear… this house! It's wonderful!" Mai found herself whispering. She turned to look at the man – Li – who stood beside her, a brilliant smile on his face. He stepped forward and held out a hand towards her._

"_Shall we go, mi'lady?" Mai giggled before readily accepting his hand and following him up to the house. As the door opened, Mai's eyes closed, enveloping her in darkness._

_When she opened them again, it was to see her own reflection. She was looking at herself in the mirror of a bathroom. A soft smile was playing on her lips as she instinctively rubbed a hand against her temporarily flat stomach. Vaguely, she heard a voice call her from somewhere in the house._

"_Coming!" she yelled back and, sneaking one last glance at her stomach, she opened the bathroom door, welcoming the darkness once more._

_Mai begrudgingly opened her eyes, the sound of a piercing wail filling her ears. She sat up in the bed she had been sleeping in and rubbed her eyes. After glancing halfheartedly at the empty space in the bed beside her, she stood up and stumbled over to the white basinet that shone in the dark of the night. Gently picking up the crying child that lay within in, Mai smiled a tired smile and began to rock the child in her arms._

"_Shh, Tomoe. Your father will be angered if he wakes up from your screams. Please, Tomoe…"_

Bang!

_Mai spun around, strongly clutching the little baby to her chest. In the doorway stood Li, who had a look of exhaustion and anger on his face._

"_Minako – by God – I tell you. This has gone on long enough." Mai opened her mouth, but he silenced her with a wave of his hand. He raised his voice to yell over the still-wailing child._

"_Not only did you birth me a girl – who would _never_ work as an heir to my family's company – but you had to have such a frail, whiny, horrendous _thing!_" Mai felt hot tears of rage fill her eyes._

"_I told you, Li! I will forever care for this child. I brought her into this world, and I had her for a reason. I do not understand your anger. We can still have another child – a boy. The perfect heir." She blinked repeatedly, trying to calm herself. A wave of exhaustion passed over her. "Please, Li, just…"_

_The man was silent for a moment, before he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. As he walked from the room, darkness filled Mai's eyes once more._

_Images of certain occasions flashed briefly through Mai's eyes, like those of a slideshow._

_A doctor's appointment._

_A disappointed look from her husband._

_A death that came far, far too soon._

_It was the death of a little, sickness-stricken angel._

_Opening her eyes, Mai tightened her grip on the letter in her hands. Her eyes tore across the sentences – the sentences of love and longing. _This confirms it…_ she thought in her mind. Flashes of Li leaving the house and returning at obscure hours, of times when he claimed to be too busy at work flashed through her mind. Mai shoved the letter, along with the pile of others, into the drawer of her husband's desk. She stormed out of his office and, as she walked down the hall, her eyes locked onto the wall at the end._

_Mai approached the beautiful mirror – the mirror that her husband had given her for their first anniversary._

_The anniversary that had come exactly four months before their daughter's birth._

_Mai slammed her fist against the glass, searching the pain-filled eyes of the woman before her._

_Why is he doing this to me?_

_What did I do to him?_

_Why…?_

_Her eyes burned. Red, burning tears cascaded down her face. A scream echoed throughout the house – a scream, she realized, that was coming from her own mouth. Mai pulled at her hair, screaming, crying, wishing it would all end. Her mind called for help, for someone to save her from the breaking world around her._

_She unconsciously pictured the color blue – a sharp blue, like that of calm ocean waves._

And then, she woke up.

* * *

**Well! I'm so happy to finish another chapter! :) I hope you guys liked it, and that it wasn't stupid or boring or anything bad. I love my cliffhangers… this one took me a minute to decide on. So, I promise I'll try to update soon, but I warn you all that I may break that promise... sorry! Once more, I ask for your patience and your amazingness! Please, stick with me til the end. I swear, I will NOT discontinue this. NEVER! :)  
-Allikitty13+Tuna=^.^=**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys… *hides behind a bookshelf*  
Hope you don't hate me too much… I'm sorry that I haven't updated in a while…  
So, here's the next chapter! It's a pretty laid back one… just kinda setting up the story for the upcoming "action" and stuff.  
I'll do my best to update quicker… So… Enjoy! And R&R? :)  
I DO NOT OWN GHOST HUNT!**

* * *

**The Mirror: Chapter 6**

Naru hadn't expected Mai's dream to turn into a nightmare that quickly.

A brief five minutes had passed from when she had calmly laid down to when she had started screaming bloody murder. And at first, Naru thought the situation was the same as it had always been – Mai would wake up screaming or crying, he would comfort her, and then all would be okay.

But it wasn't.

As soon as she had started abruptly yelling, Naru had turned, only to be met with a horrible sight – Mai was clawing haphazardly at her face, her nails suddenly sharper than they usually were. Bright red scratches were beginning to show as she continued to scrape her nails against her cheeks.

Not even a second passed before Naru rushed over to her, practically knocking over his chair in the process. As he reached her, he yanked her hands away from her newly wounded face. With a death grip on her arms, Naru shook her and frantically called her name. Luckily, it didn't take long for Mai to wake up.

* * *

Mai inhaled deeply as she awoke, desperately trying to catch her breath. Uneasiness filled her as she focused in on the panic-stricken face that was looming over her, on the worry-filled blue eyes that had pulled her out of her nightmare. To see so much emotion in Naru's face was still something that she – and he, for that matter – was not used to at all.

"N-Naru…" She cringed at the strength with which he was grasping her wrists. "Why are you so –"

It was then that she became aware of the stinging sensation on her face. She attempted to lift her hand out of Naru's grip, but stopped as soon as she noticed the red marks on her fingertips. Her eyes widened in shock.

"I – Wha – My -?" Her fear-filled eyes turned to Naru's, and he slowly let go of her arms, not taking his eyes off of her face.

"Mai…" Naru paused for a second, and Mai watched as his features seemed to momentarily constrict, as if he were feeling her pain. But the expression quickly passed.

"We need to get you cleaned up. Quickly – before the others see you and start to fret unnecessarily." He stood up, pulling her gently along with him. Mai lifted a hand up to touch her aching cheeks, but Naru grabbed it before she could do so and led her cautiously out of the room.

Mai walked along with him in a daze, staring vaguely at her other hand. Flashes of the dream – of the emotionally destroyed woman who was tearing at herself in anguish – filled Mai's mind, and she softly began to cry. Her tears stung the scrapes on her cheeks, but Mai didn't care. The pain she was currently feeling was surely nothing compared to that of what Minako Hirata had felt.

Naru sat Mai down on the covered toilet and made sure that she could not see her reflection in the mirror. A permanent frown forced itself onto his features as soon as he noticed her tears. Mai watched him search dutifully through a nearby cabinet until he located a first aid kit and some kind of ointment that stung when he applied it.

As he dabbed it onto her face, Mai refused to meet his gaze. She felt ashamed for some reason – ashamed that she could never handle the powers that she had been given. She was always crying or getting hurt or doing something stupid that resulted in Naru having to take care of her. But what could she do…?

_You have to become stronger_, a voice in her head told her. _You don't need to be sad and pitiful! Come on, Mai! You need to grow stronger and take care of yourself._ Mai blinked. _Since when did I have an inner drill sergeant? …Anyway, she' s – I mean, _I'm_ – right. It was just a dream. I have to accept what my powers give me and use them to help the team. New resolution – no tears! Watch out for Mai Taniyama – the ultimate and tearless ghost hunter!_

"Done." Naru took one last look at his patch-up job and nodded. "There was really no point in trying to hide this. The bandages will give it away… We'll just have to explain to the team the dream and assure a certain pair of annoyances that you'll be fine."

Mai looked up at him and smiled, which surprised him, considering that she had been refusing to meet his gaze the whole time that he was patching up her scratches. She held up a fist.

"Yup! I'm a-okay. And my dream will be helpful this time, I swear!" Naru searched her eyes, momentarily confused.

"Your dreams are normally helpful, Mai. Are you sure that you're okay? You do not need to hide your feelings." Mai gave him a look.

"Says you, Mr. No-Emotion. And yes, I am fine. I am going to be stronger because of my inner drill sergeant!" Naru eyed her warily, but he couldn't help but smile at the fact that Mai was acting like her normal self. Well, her normally _unusual_ self.

"Perhaps we _should_ be concerned with the number of brain cells that you have remaining…"

"Jeesh! My brain cells are alive and healthy!" Mai laughed. She spotted her still-red fingertips out of the corner of her eye. "Oh, I guess I should clean these up…"

Naru moved out of her way, and Mai went over to the sink. As she turned on the faucet, she looked up into the mirror… and froze. Not because of anything supernatural, but because of the two hand-sized, rectangular bandages that almost completely covered the sides of her face. Mai glared at the side of the mirror, where she could see Naru's smirking reflection.

"Gee, thanks, Naru. Thank you for fixing up my face_ so_ well!" He stood and looked over her shoulder as she washed her hands, the water turning pink as it swirled down the drain.

"Those were the only bandages that were big enough to cover everything. On the bright side, I think that they are quite the step up from how you usually look." Mai huffed at him as she dried her hands.

"Well then! You must have liked this face at least a little bit, since you decided to date it!" Mai felt her face grow warm. _Oh, way to go, Mai. If that isn't embarrassing at all…_

Mai suddenly felt Naru place his chin on her shoulder as his arms reached around her to take the towel out of her hands, bumping against hers in the process. He neatly folded it, then stepped back, but not before he whispered into her ear, "I guess so, huh?"

As he walked from the room, Mai took one last look at her bandaged-covered, highly flustered face, and then followed after him, desperately trying to calm down her fluttering heart. She caught up with him just as he reached the intersection of the T-shaped hallway.

"Yo – Naru! Mai!" The two turned to see Bou-san walking down the hallway towards them, a goofy smile in place. "So – " He paused, noticing the bandages on Mai's face. His smile dropped. "What happened?"

"Just a small incident. I will explain it when we have the whole team together. Where are they?" Naru eyed the empty hallway. Bou-san rubbed the back of his head.

"Ah – you see, Chiaki's car wouldn't start… he said that it always goes on and off like that and that he has been meaning to replace it, but he hasn't had the money and…" He noticed the serious look on Naru's face and gave a slight cough. "Anyway, Lin offered to drive the two of them, since Kaoru's mother's house isn't too far away. Masako and John decided to go with because they wanted to double check that the ghosts aren't following Kaoru. And Masako said something about asking Kaoru's mother something…" Naru nodded and began walking back towards the base.

"And Ayako?" Mai asked, looking down the hallway.

"Oh, she's waiting for me. She and I are going to sniff around outside, considering that we haven't checked out there yet. Plus, it's not raining like it was before…"

"Okay! Be careful… I'll go tell Naru what you guys are doing, since he couldn't bother to talk with us another five minutes." She rolled her eyes, earning a laugh from the blonde-haired man.

"Hey," he said as she started walking away. Mai turned and looked at him. "You feeling okay?"

Mai noticed that he was looking with concern at her bandages. She smiled and gave him a wave. "Yup! I'm perfectly fine. You go have fun now with Ayako!"

She gave him one last thumbs-up before hurrying off to the base.

* * *

Mai walked into the base and yawned, stretching her arms high above her. Naru looked up at her from his usual stance – sitting on a chair with a notebook in hand. When he saw that no one was walking in behind her, he raised an eyebrow.

"Where's Takigawa-san?"

"Well," Mai stated, putting her hands on her hips, "If you had stayed for one more minute, you would've heard! He and Ayako are going to look around outside, since we haven't really done that yet."

She plopped herself down on the couch and tried to suppress another yawn. _Jeeze… I guess I haven't been getting enough sleep lately… especially with all the dreams I've been having. _The thought made Mai flinch. _Ugh. The thought of another dream does _not_ make me want to sleep…_

"Mai," Naru called, breaking her train of thought. She jumped slightly, then turned to glance at him.

"Maybe you should see if you can sleep – not for the sake of dreams, but for the sake of actually sleeping. We don't need you being exhausted for the rest of this investigation." He jotted down a couple more notes into his notebook.

Mai sighed. She agreed with him, and she _did_ want to sleep, but… She could feel the uneasiness start to grow in the pit of her stomach. There was no guarantee that she would have a dream, but she was almost certain that the next dream she did have would be the one concerning Minako's death. And truth be told, she was _not_ looking forward to that.

Mai's silence seemed to convey to Naru everything she was thinking, for he soon sighed and put down his pen. She fiddled with a random piece of hair, not wanting to meet his eyes.

"What happened to the courage that your 'inner drill sergeant' gave you?" Mai finally looked at him and shrugged.

"It's harder than I thought! I mean, I wouldn't mind, but, you know, the next dream is… _that_. I mean," she cut him off before he could say anything, "I know that I can try to wake myself up. I'm sure that I did it last time, but it's not like I should just back out before I see all of the important things that I need to in order to help the team. It might help me if you – well – maybe…"

"What?" Naru asked. Mai remained silent. "Mai, I'm not going to be able to help if you don't tell me how I can."

"Okay, okay! Maybe – I mean, if you don't mind – do you think that you could… sit here? Next to me? I – uh – I just think I would feel a bit better, especially if I have a dream like that one a long time ago…" Mai frowned as the images of that case – the mansion, the monster, the tub – filled her mind. _Why did I have to think about it again? That's a real comforting thought to fall asleep to._

"Alright," Naru agreed, after a slight pause. Mai stared at him, too wrapped up in her thoughts to remember what was going on. He stood up, notebook in hand. "_I said_ I'd sit by you… if you think it'll help."

Mai blinked, then smiled at him. She hopped down the couch, making room for him to sit. She continued to smile at him as he sat down and started writing once more in his notebook.

"Mai, stop smiling like an idiot. If you don't go to sleep, I am going to go sit back over there." Mai simply laughed and laid her head back, a smile still on her face. With Naru beside her, it didn't take long to fall asleep.

* * *

After a couple of minutes, Naru felt Mai's head land softly on his shoulder. He closed his notebook and sighed.

"Mai, could you move your head?" He waited for a response, but was not surprised when he didn't get one. _She must be asleep… It must be nice to be able to fall asleep in an instant._ Closing his eyes, Naru laid his head back against the couch. _It's not like I can move now without waking her up… And if she has a dream, she'll probably freak out if I'm not here when she wakes up._ _I should probably go check the monitors, though…_

However, without his meaning to, Naru soon fell asleep besides his slumbering assistant/girlfriend.

* * *

Bou-san walked casually towards the base, scratching an itch on his arm as he went. He and Ayako had searched the front yard – which wasn't exactly a challenge since it wasn't very big – and were about to go in when they realized that they hadn't checked to see if there was anything in the backyard of the house. When they got back there, they were met with a pretty bare scene: the backyard consisted of a good-sized, square-shaped yard that was surrounded by a fence that was similar to the one in the front of the house. Besides flowers, the only other thing in the backyard was a rickety looking shed that was locked with a heavy black padlock.

After spending numerous minutes trying to pick the lock, Ayako finally suggested that they go ask Naru to contact Kaoru and see if she knew where the key was. Bou-san agreed and told her that he'd go ask Naru while she kept looking around the yard for anything suspicious.

He walked into the base, wondering what could possibly be in the dilapidated shed. _Watch it be nothing… Wouldn't that be annoying?_ He sauntered over to the couch, where he could see the top of his black-haired boss's head sticking up.

"Hey, Na –" He stopped. And then started laughing – as quietly as he could, of course – at the sight before him.

Mai had fallen asleep with her head lying against Naru's shoulder – which was surprising enough to Bou-san, considering Naru's totally unromantic ways. But then, even more surprising, was the fact that Naru had fallen asleep, as well! His head was resting carefully on top of Mai's, the two of them totally not having a care about the world around them.

Well, the scene was too adorable to ignore, so Bou-san stealthily took a picture of the two on his cell phone and then rushed from the room.

Once he had gotten about halfway down the hall, he turned on his heel and approached the base again. This time he yelled, as loud as he could, "I guess I'll just head back to the base then!"

And when he entered the room, he was not surprised to see that Naru was now standing at one of the monitors, scribbling away in one of his notebooks. Mai was lying sideways on the couch, considering that her head rest had just abandoned her.

Bou-san couldn't stop laughing for hours – much to the dismay of his oblivious boss.

* * *

Ayako stared at the seemingly abandoned shed as Bou-san's soft steps on the grass faded away. She crossed her arms and tipped her head left and right. Despite the peeling white paint and rotting boards, the red-haired woman could tell that the shed had been extraordinarily well crafted and that it probably had looked incredible when it was first made.

It had no windows, but the door and the roof were ornately carved - almost with the same sort of design that was used on the beautiful silver mirror in the house.

Ayako walked around the decent-sized shack, looking for anything out of the ordinary. As she reached the backside of the shed, she stopped. A handle of sorts was sticking out of the shed's back wall and hanging from it, shining brightly in the sun, was a silver necklace.

"Well, there you go." Ayako said to herself. _Score one for Ayako!_ She reached up and gently pulled the necklace off of the rusty-looking handle. She held it up so that the ornament - a plain silver heart - rotated slowly in front of her face. Despite the fact that it was hanging on such a dingy structure, the necklace was not tarnished in the slightest. Ayako glanced at the back of the heart and found that words were carefully inscribed into the back.

"'You are the key to my happiness'. Ugh, how cheesy is that?" She stored it away in her pants pocket and continued to look around the shed.

After finding nothing else out of the ordinary and still not being able to unlock the ramshackle hut, Ayako decided to traipse back up to the house to see what was taking Bou-san so long to get the key.

* * *

Mai woke up to the sound of Naru's 'I'm annoyed' voice. As she sat up and rubbed her eyes, Bou-san plopped down next to her. After a minute or so, she realized that he was staring at her with a sneaky smile on his face.

"What?" She asked. He merely winked at her.

Mai was about to ask him why he was in such a weird mood when she was interrupted by the appearance of the rest of the team.

"Oh! When did you guys get back?"

"Just now," John said, giving her a smile. "The four of us met up at the door and then ran into Matsuzaki-san on our way back to the room."

Naru grabbed a notebook, sat down, and immediately turned to Mai.

"Any dreams?"

"Nope! All is good right now in my dream world!" Naru nodded and then waited for the others to sit down. He ignored the snickers that were coming from the blonde-haired man who was seated next to a very confused-looking Mai.

After everyone was situated, Naru had Mai tell them all of her latest dream, and they listened carefully as she explained it in as best detail as she could. A brief moment of thoughtful silence followed her tale.

"So," Naru began, ready to analyze the situation, "Minako Hirata found out that her husband was being unfaithful - most likely due to her inability to produce a male child - and she became emotionally unstable. Therefore -"

"She killed herself?" John interjected sadly. Naru crossed his arms and opened his mouth to talk, but he was interrupted by a fit of giggles. He glared at Bou-san, who Ayako, in turn, smacked in the arm.

"That's not funny, you jerk!"

"No, no," Bou-san said, trying to regain his breath. He waved his hands. "It's not that. Sorry - carry on!"

Naru pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "As Brown-san said, we could assume that she did indeed commit suicide, but you said that you didn't exactly see that happen, Mai?" He opened his eyes and looked at her. She nodded.

"Y-Yeah. I mean, she was angry and upset, so she did the whole - you know -" She motioned halfheartedly at her face. "But I didn't witness her actual death..."

"Tsukino-san and Hiraoka-san are both safely at her mother's house, correct?" Masako turned her head at his words.

"Yes. Brown-san and I checked to make sure that no spirits were lingering on either of the two. While we were there, I also spoke to Kaoru-san's mother about the missing sister. I discovered that Miho-san originally went out with Tsukino-san a long time ago, but that their relationship ended rather harshly. Kaoru-san's mother insisted that there were no hard feelings between the three of them, but this type of situation..."

"It reflects Minako's in a way... Doesn't it?" Mai wondered aloud, thinking of the scenario that she saw in her dreams.

Naru narrowed his eyes. "In a way, it does. This could mean that Miho-san's disappearance may be related in a more serious way to the case."

"Oh, yeah - by the way, I -" Ayako went to tell them about the necklace, but was cut off by more of Bou-san's laughing. Naru turned on him, anger clear in his eyes.

"_Why_ do you keep on laughing? What's the joke? Surely, if it's that funny, you can share it with the team!" But that only made him laugh harder.

"I'm pretty sure you don't want the whole team to know!"

Ayako sighed as Naru and Bou-san started to bicker, and Mai simply shrugged and smiled.

"I'll be back... Bathroom." Ayako got up and walked out of the room, the silver necklace swinging freely from her back pocket.

* * *

After ten minutes, Mai felt that something was up.

Sure, she knew that Ayako was old enough to go to the bathroom on her own and that the reason she was taking a while might have been because she wandered off somewhere, but... _It couldn't hurt to check… I mean, don't they always say, "Better safe than sorry?"_

Mai muttered a small 'be right back' to Naru – who was currently talking to Kaoru about a key for some shed that Bou-san and Ayako had discovered – and quietly slipped from the talk-filled room.

As she approached the bathroom, Mai watched her reflection in the silver-rimmed mirror. She walked with hurried footsteps and nearly felt her heart stop when she reached the bathroom door. The light was off, and there was no one inside.

Mai turned towards her glass reflection, and that's when she noticed the necklace.

It was silver and lying directly in front of the mirror. Mai knelt down and picked it up with a shaking hand. Her eyes read the words engraved into the silver heart charm – _You are the key to my happiness_.

She glanced up at the mirror, which flashed brightly before her eyes. And in that moment of brightness, Mai swore that she saw a woman staring back at her - a woman with red hair and a familiar face.

"Ayako..." She whispered, then collapsed onto the ground.

* * *

**Why is Mai always collapsing?  
Well, I guess that's my fault :) haha!  
Anyhoo, I hope this wasn't too boring… like I said, I gotta get all the cheesy scenes and important things over and done with. I should probably stop sending all the team members away from the house too… My bad! :P  
Anyway, please! Stick with me until the end! I shall end this tale wholeheartedly!  
Stay Amazing!~  
-Allikitty13+Tuna=^.^=**


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